


Appearances Can Be Deceiving

by F1_rabbit



Series: Adventures in Cybercrime [3]
Category: Formula 1 RPF, Motorcycling RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crimes & Criminals, M/M, Police
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-13
Updated: 2016-11-26
Packaged: 2018-08-28 16:02:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8452720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/F1_rabbit/pseuds/F1_rabbit
Summary: Kevin's sitting at the traffic lights when a man jumps into his car and tells him to drive. But the man doesn't realise that he's just got into an unmarked police car, and Kevin's an off-duty police officer.





	1. Off-Duty

Kevin watched the lights change back to red for the pedestrian crossing, and he prepared to move off when someone jumped into the backseat of his car.

"Drive!" The man looked frantic, his brown eyes were wide and there was sweat dripping down his forehead. He rattled the bars that were dividing him and Kevin, but there was nothing he could do. He was trapped in an unmarked police car.

Kevin smiled, he was constantly amazed how dumb criminals were sometimes, but then he caught sight of four armed men running towards the car. His training kicked in, and he made sure that the man was safe, secure in the back of the car.

"They tried to kill me." The man cowered in the foot well, trying to hide behind the seat.

"I'm a police officer." Kevin flashed his badge, and the man seemed to relax a little, but the armed men were still walking up to the car, weapons aimed at Kevin's unexpected passenger. "Stay here, and stay down."

Kevin grabbed his radio, hoping that other officers were in the area. He checked that he had his badge and his baton, making sure that the car was locked before calmly strolling around the car to arrest the criminals.

"Police." Kevin held out his badge as he flicked his wrist to extend the baton. "Drop your weapons and lie down on the ground with your hands behind your head."

He didn't blink as he stared down the four guns pointed at him, his whole body ready for a fight, but nothing could have prepared him for what happened next.

Four badges were being flashed at him as they tucked their guns away.

"SCD7."

"Fuck." Kevin knew that he was outranked, they were plain clothed detectives who were armed. But it didn't stop him worrying that they had actually tried to kill the guy hiding in his car.

"That's our suspect."

Kevin wasn't going to let them win that easily, the man was still cowered in his car, and there was something about the situation that didn't quite sit right with him. Even though he was off-duty he knew that he wouldn't be able to relax until he'd seen that the suspect had been processed. "Fine, you can follow us to the station."

*

Kevin couldn't get a word out of the man, not in English, and all attempts to get him to calm down had failed. He'd understood the instruction to put on his seatbelt, but Kevin couldn't tell if he understood much more than simple words.

By the time he pulled up at the station, Marcus was waiting for him, and he didn't look amused. He was in jeans and a hoodie, which meant that he'd been out and about when he'd been called down to the station.

"SCD7 are saying that you took their suspect out of their custody." Marcus folded his arms, and Kevin shrugged in apology.

"Half true." Kevin smiled, but it faded when he saw that Marcus wasn't impressed. "He just got into my car and yelled 'drive' and there's something about this situation that just doesn’t feel quite right."

Marcus let out the breath that he'd been holding as he walked over to the car, fishing his ID out of his hoodie pocket.

"Hi, I'm Sargent Marcus Ericsson." He held his badge up to the widow, smiling in a way that he hoped made him look non-threatening before slowly opening the door.

Kevin watched as the man assessed his situation, and just when Kevin thought he was about to run, he collapsed into Marcus' arms, tears streaming down his face as he tried to tell him everything in a language that neither of them understood.

"Let's get you inside," Marcus said, and he put his arm around the victim, or suspect, depending on how this worked out.

Kevin locked up the car before following them inside, and they were in for a long evening.

"All the interview rooms are busy," Officer Lynn said, as he tried to take down the details from their mystery man. "Quiet one, aren't you?"

"It's a crazy story," Kevin said, looking at Marcus who was still smiling, although that was more for the benefit of the victim. And for some reason, Kevin was sure that he was a victim rather than a suspect, but that was partly influenced by the fact that he'd like to see SCD7 have to apologise for getting things wrong.

"We're just stacking them up in the waiting room." Officer Lynn laughed, and Kevin smiled, the waiting room was a temporary holding cell, which at this time on a Saturday would be filled with drunks. But to hold him anywhere else would be a serious breach of protocol. Kevin felt sorry for the guy, but rules were rules.

Officer Lynn came round to take the victim down to the holding cell, ducking down to his level so that he could introduce himself. "I'm Alex."

"Alex is going to take good care of you," Kevin said, and the victim nodded.

That should have been the end of it, but there was something about the whole situation that he just couldn't make sense of, and Kevin wandered up to his office.

The sign on the door usually said cybercrimes, but some joker had scrawled the word 'gay' on a sticker and stuck it on top.

Part of Kevin sighed, but another bit of him had better things to do, so he settled for writing, 'I'm bi, if you're going to do this at least get it right,' on a post-it note and stuck it to the door. It was petty, but it brought a smile to his face, although he was sure that he could guess who was responsible for this.

Things had mostly settled down now, although Jo was a terrifying sight when he wanted to be. He did not have Marcus' skills for tolerating fools gladly, but he was good with the itty bitty hackers when they were hauled in.

Kevin had a quick look at SCD7's files, he knew he was technically allowed to look at them, but it was frowned upon.

He had a look around, but there was nothing that seemed to relate to a case in the area that he picked up the victim. If it was a new case he'd have to wait for them to type up their notes, and that was going to take time. Which meant that there was nothing that he could do unless the victim started talking.

Kevin was heading back down to see if an interview room was free, when Marcus came striding up to him. There was no smile on his face and Kevin was sure that he was still mad about being called in on his day off.

"Dany's been arrested for starting a fire without a permit."

*

_I'd do anything for you, apart from give up Australia. Sorry x_

Dany found the note on top of the divorce papers, already signed by Dan. He knew that Dan wasn't quite happy in London, but he'd thought that he would settle, although it turned out that he was just waiting to make his escape.

They didn't even last six months.

Dany signed the papers, taking them down to Paul's office for them to be filed. Seeing Paul's name on them had stung. Just the thought that he knew and didn't tell him made his stomach twist in knots, although if Dan couldn't talk to him about these things, then there was nothing that Paul could have done to save their relationship.

He'd got home and cleared all of Dan's things into boxes, he'd offer to ship them to him, and if he didn't want them they could go to charity.

The place looked clearer, less cluttered, and Dany actually felt a little bit better about things, he could get his life back to the way it was before. He had lots of friends around him, and he owned his own business.

It was a nice life.

He went to make himself a cup of coffee, the kettle boiling as he looked for his favourite cup. And that was when he saw it. His favourite mug, the one with rabbits on it, was broken. The handle was gone and there was a large chunk missing from the side.

That was the final straw.

Dany screamed until his throat was raw, and then he felt light, as though someone else was in control of his body.

He went and got all of Dan's things, every last box, and stacked them in a pile in the garden before taking out a pack of matches. It had been so long since there was a power cut, and the box was full.

Dany was sure that it was a dumb idea when he struck the match, watching the fire burst into life as he grinned at the charred remains.

He had no idea that it was criminally dumb.

Shortly after there was police officers standing around his garden, asking him what he thought he was doing.

He didn't have any good answers for them.

Dany thought about telling them that he knew the cybercrimes team, but he wasn't sure if that would make his life easier or not. He definitely didn't feel like telling them everything that had happened. So he told them the truth.

"I just wanted to watch it burn."

*

Marcus rushed down to the holding cell, Kevin following close behind. The cell was full, most of its occupants clearly worse for wear, slumped against the walls, when they saw Dany sitting on a bench, chatting away to their mystery man.

Kevin swiped his pass to get into the cell, and he rushed over to Dany. "How are you?"

He wrapped Dany up in a hug, the smell of smoke clinging to his clothes, and he felt Dany take a deep breath, but no words came out.

"You can speak to him?" Kevin asked, patting his pockets for his notepad and pen.

"To Marc?" Dany asked, looking over at him, and the confusion was clear.

Marc bit at his lip, and Kevin looked up at Marcus from where he was crouching on the floor.

"I'm going to check and see if there's an interview room free." Marcus wandered off, looking like an ordinary PC, rather than the sergeant than he was.

Seven minutes later they were sitting an interview room, coffee in hand, with Dany playing translator.

Kevin had found the files for the SCD7 detectives that had apprehended Marc, just because they were police didn't mean that they couldn't be guilty of attempted murder.

He was loyal to the law, and he'd follow it to the very letter.

"Can you ask him what happened today?" Kevin asked Dany, but Marc put his hand out.

"I can speak English." Marc sipped at his coffee, his hand trembling as he steadied himself. "I just…"

Dany reached out to rest his hand over Marc's, and he took a deep breath before continuing.

"I was delivering a package…"

*

Marc looked at his satnav, following its instructions as he flew along the road. The cool air nipped at his eyes, the visor on his helmet not entirely blocking it all, but he was just happy that it was clear and dry. He'd had to deal with a few frosty mornings lately, and it made being out on the bike more challenging, but he secretly liked that.

He zipped through the traffic, heading towards his destination. It was a large building, a warehouse or factory of some sort, and he looked around for what might be the entrance so that he could leave the package with reception.

Pulling up outside the door that was marked 'service deliveries' he secured his bike before heading in, leaving his helmet with the bike, since a lot of places frowned on motorcycle helmets being worn inside.

When he opened the door he could hear a faint alarm going off in the background, but he assumed that it was some sort of heavy machinery reversing.

The scent of ink wafted in, like standing next to a photocopier, and Marc noticed that the inner door was open. He wandered through, hoping to hand the package to the first person that he saw, when he heard a click.

A gun was pointed at him.

He was tall and thin, wearing a ski mask, and Marc froze. His eyes were darting around, looking for an escape, and then he saw more guys with guns.

The momentary confusion was all that Marc needed, he barged his way towards the emergency exit, stumbling out into the rancid air of the alley as he ran for his life, not looking back as he sprinted towards the road. His lungs were on fire and his muscles burned, but that didn't stop him charging towards a plain navy blue car, the generic sort that families have, and he jumped into the back of it.

*

"And you know the rest," Marc said, his hands now a little steadier, but his eyes were still darting around, trying to work out who he could trust.

"Do you recognise these men?" Kevin asked, holding out the picture of the SCD7 detectives.

"Yes, they're the ones that tried to kill me."

"They didn't announce that they were police?" Marcus tapped his notepad on the desk, he clearly wasn't pleased, although Kevin couldn't tell if it was an act for Marc's benefit or if he was genuinely unimpressed by the behaviour of the detectives.

Kevin pushed the photos closer, making sure that Marc could clearly see them. "Was it one of these detectives that were wearing the ski mask?"

Marc scrunched up his face, studying the photos. He shook his head, his eyes falling shut as he tried to remember. "No, there was the four of them, and the man in the ski mask."

Marcus noted it all down, and then switched off the recorder. "Stay here, Kevin will get you anything that you need."

Kevin nodded and Marc seemed to relax a little more.

Marcus was at the door when he turned round. "Dany if you want a lift home I can get one of the officers to take you."

"I'm fine here." Dany looked at Marc, who gave him a little smile, and Marcus nodded. He was off to find SCD7 and ask them to explain what was going on.

*

Kevin was sipping at his coffee when the detectives burst in, and they didn't look impressed.

"I think you'll find that's our suspect."

Kevin leant back in his chair, not a care in the world as Dany shielded Marc, although Kevin knew that Dany wasn't impulsive enough to attack the detectives in a police station.

"I think you'll find he's the witness to your crime, and it looks like nothing was stolen from the factory…" Kevin grinned, pausing for dramatic effect as he could see the detectives trying to decide if he was going to shoot him or not. "So, good job guys, now you've just got to find the guy who was robbing the place."

The detective snorted in laughter, running his fingers through his dirty blond curls. "It's not a factory that was robbed, it was the secure facility where they make passports, and the thief got away with over a thousand blank passports."

"Right."

"So now criminals can make their own ID, and god only knows what they're going to do with them." The detective sat down at the desk, the others retreating off, probably to deal with the mountain of paperwork that would be required for something this serious.

"What can I do to help?" Kevin said, the grin wiped off his face.

"Let us interview our witness." The detective leant over to speak to Dany. "Are you his lawyer?"

"No, just a friend." Dany looked at Marc, before speaking in Spanish. "I'll be waiting outside for you."

Marc didn't look entirely happy about the situation, but there was nothing that Kevin could do to stop the detectives investigating their case. All he could do was make sure that Marc got home safe when they were done with him.

Kevin went to fetch Dany another coffee as he waited outside the interview room. "Are you okay here on your own?"

"Sure."

Kevin gave Dany the biggest hug, if it wasn't for all the chaos he'd be curled up on their sofa, eating ice cream and watching trashy movies.

By the time he got back to the cybercrimes office, Marcus was already looking into the case, and Kevin realised why Marcus was out and about on his day off.

"You were going to meet Dany, weren't you?" Kevin sat down next to Marcus, making sure that the door was closed before reaching out to rest his hand on his knee.

"Yes, and then I got a call saying that I had to come to work asap." Marcus looked over at Kevin, and he knew that he was forgiven.

"Did they tell you it was me?" Kevin smiled, he knew that he was trouble, but he'd been hoping now that he had a badge that he'd be able to put it all to good use.

"No, just that there was a cybercrimes emergency." Marcus ran his fingers through Kevin's hair, brushing it out of his eyes.

"This isn't my fault, trouble just finds me." Kevin held his hands up as though he was surrendering, and Marcus laughed.

"I know, and I love you all the same." Marcus leant in for a kiss, a moment of normality in a crazy day.

"I love you too."

Marcus' computer beeped, and he opened the file, looking over the details about the secure printing factory. They looked over all the information, but there wasn't enough information to figure out what was going on. Even with Marc's statement, they didn't have a description of the thief, or know if they were working alone or not. And they had no way of knowing if SCD7 were involved in the theft or not, although Marcus really hoped that it wasn't true, but it wouldn't stop him following the leads, no matter where they took him. It wasn't their case, but Marcus was definitely going to keep an eye on it.

"None of this makes sense."

*

Kevin was looking at his car, even though it belonged to the department, he thought of it as his. He'd got used to the bars that separated the front seats from the back, although most people assumed that it was for a pet dog, not making sure that criminals couldn't strangle him while driving.

Marcus had taken Dany and Marc home in his car, since it was an ordinary car with no bars and no police radio hidden in the glovebox.

By the time that Marcus got home, Kevin was in the shower, wondering why he'd chosen that route home. But it didn't matter, he'd done what he could to keep the peace, stop a man being gunned down just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

All because he'd forgotten to file a bit of paperwork and had to head in on his day off.

The universe was a crazy place sometimes, but at least he had Marcus by his side through it all.

As if on cue, Marcus appeared in the shower, his hair glinting in the dim light of the bathroom.

"Everyone home safe?"

"Yes… Dany's on our sofa." Marcus smiled, he'd taken him home, but one look at his charred garden had seen tears welling up in his eyes, and Marcus knew that he couldn't leave him alone.

Kevin leant in for a kiss, running his hands over Marcus' soft skin, pressing their bodies together. "We better be quick." He slid his hand down so that he could stroke Marcus' cock, waiting for him to do the same as they sound of the water splashing down over them hid their breathless gasps and moans. Kevin wasn't usually one for being quiet, and he buried his head against Marcus' shoulder, his teeth grazing his skin as he thrust into his hand.

Marcus' eyes were scrunched shut and his lips were compressed as he felt his muscles tense. He ducked down for a kiss, eating up all the gasps and moans as Kevin's warm come spilled over his hand, washed away by the water as he shuddered in orgasm. Kevin smiled, his lips still pressed against his own, and Marcus felt his whole body relax, the warmth of the water rushing around them like a blanket.

"I'm sorry about today," Kevin said, "But there was just something off about the whole situation."

"You don't have to apologise for doing your job." Marcus leant in for another kiss, stroking Kevin's back as they quickly got washed, their skin still sensitive from their love making.

Once the water was switched off it felt like reality was rushing back in, and Marcus wrapped a towel around his waist before rushing out to check on Dany.

"I've ordered food, is pizza cool?" Dany said, flicking through the channels on the tv, although Marcus knew that feeling, when nothing was quite right, even when he was longing for a distraction.

Marcus threw on some clothes and took the duvet off the bed, it had been a cool November and now that the sun had set the temperature was plummeting.

"Do you want a shower before food?" Marcus asked, as Kevin wandered out of the bathroom.

"Sure." Dany sounded numb, and Marcus didn't know what to do about it. He made a coffee, his hand hovering over the cupboard with the alcohol in before deciding against it. Alcohol very rarely made anything better.

Dany reappeared just after the food had been delivered, and the three of them snuggled up on the sofa, Kevin holding Dany tight as he ate, making sure that he knew he had people who loved and cared for him.

Kevin couldn't keep his mind off work, and he wondered if Marc had anyone looking out for him.


	2. Line of Duty

Jo and Stoffel's flat was a nice, spacious, studio flat, not dissimilar to Marcus and Kevin's place.

"It's definitely an improvement on being in the dorms with the other rookies." Jo glanced at Stoffel, it had been a rough ride for both of them, especially since the news of their arrest had been so widely publicised, and there were many who didn't think that they should be police officers. Although they'd showed all of them. In just three months they'd solved more identity fraud cases than ever before.

"And it beats squatting in abandoned factories," Stoffel said, smiling as he leant in for a kiss, "It's nice to have heating for the winter months."

"I miss keeping you warm." Jo was pulling Stoffel so that he was straddling him, and their kiss was getting increasingly passionate, their gasps and moans filling the room.

Dany coughed, as Marcus and Kevin tried not to stare. They had managed to curb the worst of their public displays of affection in front of Dany, and they had found space for him in their bed, making sure he was surrounded by them as he slept last night.

Jo smiled, giving Stoffel one last kiss as he sat up, before wandering over to give Dany a hug. "You deserve better than him, he's a cunt just to run off like that."

"Thanks, mate." Dany was sure that Jo wasn't on the list of people that he expected sympathy from, but he was glad that they'd put their difference behind them. Although now that Jo had a badge there was a big incentive to leave the past exactly where it was.

They'd all got used to the fact that Jo sounded like the last person you'd expect to hear swearing, so when he did it was even more shocking. Although Dany swore all the time, but it fitted with his line of work, whereas there'd been a steep learning curve for Jo as a rookie.

"I burned all his things." Dany sounded almost apologetic, but Jo just smiled, patting him on the shoulder.

"I'd have done the same," Jo said, winking at Stoffel with a grin on his face.

"Nice to know." Stoffel reached out to hold Jo's hand, and the five of them looked at each other before laughing as they got comfy on the sofa.

"The place looks really nice," Dany said, he'd not helped with the decorating, or moving, although he wasn't quite at the best friends stage with them yet. But he had brought food, and beer, and he was grateful not to be sitting alone at home, although he was sure that Kevin and Marcus wouldn't have left him alone today.

"Thanks, even my dad seems happy with my life now." Jo laughed, considering all that had happened, he was lucky that his dad still looked out for him, although he'd made it clear that even though he was the police commissioner, there would be no special exceptions for Jo just because he was family.

Dany smiled, but everyone could see how forced it was.

"Want to go down to the gun range and shoot things?" Jo asked, and from the way that Dany smiled, his eyes lit up as a devilish grin appeared, he was clearly thrilled with the idea.

"We'll take my car," Marcus said, smiling to himself, "Just keep an eye out for any unwanted passengers."

Marcus laughed, and the others joined in, leaving Kevin smiling as he shook his head. "Laugh it up, I nearly got shot in the line of duty, but keep laughing."

*

Dany looked lethal with a gun in his hand, and Jo had been amazed how quickly he'd got the hang of it. Even though they didn't carry a weapon in the line of duty, like most police officers, they were all trained in the basics, and their IDs were good for a discount at the local gun range.

By the time that they left, Dany looked a lot happier, and Marcus left him with Jo and Stoffel, playing computer games even though they all had work in the morning.

But it would all be worth it, if it meant that Dany got through this rough patch. Luckily Dany had Nico to open up the shop for him tomorrow.

***

Dany had got his coffee in his hand, and the first sip had him feeling human. He'd left a sign up saying that the shop was closed yesterday, and since Sunday was a slow day he was sure that no-one had noticed.

Nico had bounced into the shop, big grin on his face, and Dany had put on a smile. He didn't want to ruin anyone else's day with his misery, and he just needed to lick his wounds for a while.

"Hi, good weekend?" Dany asked, hoping that Nico's stories would cheer him up, at least distract him for a while.

"Yes." Nico was still grinning, and he put his bag behind the counter, before heading over to get a cup of coffee.

The first thing that Nico did was reach out for a coffee cup, and that was when Dany saw it. Something metallic glinting in the light, and Dany didn't even have to look closer to know what it was.

It was a ring, on that finger.

Nico turned to see Dany staring, and he rushed over, showing off his ring so that it sparkled in the light.

"It's lovely," Dany said, his lip trembling as he tried to choke back the tears, "I'm really happy for the two of you."

Nico rushed round the counter, ducking down so that he could look Dany in the eyes. "What's happened?"

Dany felt bad for worrying Nico, and that was when the tears started flowing. Nico wrapped his arms around him, holding him tight as Dany told him everything between big sobs.

"I can't believe that Dan left me."

"You deserve better than him." Nico gave Dany a kiss on the cheek, wiping his tears away with his thumb. "We'll all be here for you, whatever you need."

"Thanks, mate." Dany sniffed, shaking his head. "I'm just having the worst time of things right now."

*

Marc was pacing down the street, his eyes darting around as he came up to a crossing. The light was red, but he thought about just taking his chances with the traffic.

A van pulled up over the crossing, and his first thought was that the stereotype about van drivers was correct, but then the door slid open.

There was a gun pointed at him. A man in a ski mask holding it, and even though Marc could only see his eyes, he was sure that it was the same guy from the secure printing facility.

He bolted down the street, sending people flying as he headed to the one place that he felt safe, the police station.

*

Kevin was looking for Alex so that he could offer him a doughnut, say thanks for looking out for the witness, and Dany, over the weekend.

He was just scribbling a note on the box when a man came flying through the door, tripping over the mat on the floor and landing in a tangle of limbs by Kevin's feet.

Kevin reached down to help the man up, and that was when he recognised him. Marc.

His eyes were wide, and Kevin glanced around the waiting room to make sure that there was no immediate threats, but there was just a man waiting to pick up his son.

Marc was gasping for breath, and the only words that he managed were, "They tried to kill me."

"We'll keep you safe."

Kevin helped Marc to his feet, leading him to an interview room as he sent a message to Marcus. Things were definitely not what they seemed.

*

Kevin managed to get a location and a description of the van before Marcus appeared with three cups of coffee, and more doughnuts, which at least gave Marc a chance to calm down so that they could get his statement.

Marcus went to notify the detectives, and when he came back in he looked a lot calmer.

"SCD7 are tracking the van, and armed response are on alert."

Marc nodded, nibbling at the doughnut as he glanced around.

"Are you certain that it's the same man from the robbery?" Marcus asked, holding a file in his hands.

Marc nodded, and Marcus held out the pictures of known high-end thieves in the area.

"Could it be any of these guys?" Kevin pushed the photos over to Marc, watching as he flinched when he moved his hand.

Marc studied them all for a long time, focusing on the eyes, but in the end he shook his head. "No, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, we will catch them." Kevin reached out to hold Marc's hand, trying to offer him comfort, but he still wasn't calm.

Marcus' radio squawked, and he stepped out of the room to answer it. His face was blank, but Kevin could see the disappointment in his eyes, whoever was trying to kill Marc was still out there.

"We'll keep you safe," Kevin said, and he knew just the place for it.

*

Movies made it look so easy, put someone into witness protection and then they were safe. Except that wasn't how things happened in Britain. The best was someone sitting outside in a police car, so the easiest way to deal with this all, was for them to leave Marc somewhere that no-one would ever think of looking.

Like a small computer repair shop that was off the high street, and didn't get a lot of new customers. One where the owner recognised all the regulars.

Kevin pulled up to the back of Dany's shop just after lunch, and the place was empty apart from a couple of students who were playing pinball.

"I need a favour," Kevin said, and he wasn't sure if he should be asking Dany with all that he was going through. It was clear that he'd been crying today, but there was Nico around, and it was only until they finished work for the day.

"Sure." Dany gave him a little smile, and Kevin could see that he considered this his way of repaying him.

"Don't you want to know what it is first?" Kevin smiled, although with Marc standing next to him, Dany didn't have to be a detective to work out what was going on.

"I'll look after Marc," Dany said, holding out his hand for Marc to follow him.

"Jo and Stoffel are outside in an unmarked car, and we're just a phone call away." Kevin laughed, giving Dany a hug before heading back to work.

He couldn't shake the feeling that there had to be something more that he could do to keep Marc safe, but with the absence of a better plan, this would have to do.

*

The afternoon went quickly, although Kevin had nothing to do apart from solve the endless number of online fraud cases that seemed to make up the majority of their work.

CCTV had caught the van on camera, and Marc running away, but the detectives traced the van to an abandoned factory. That was where the trail went cold. There was no cameras in that area, and the thieves could be anywhere by now.

With a lack of a physical description beyond height, build, and eye colour, they were going to have to wait for new information to come in before they could catch them.

Waiting was always the hardest part.

*

Kevin had checked in on Dany, and brought him food. He wasn't sure how much he'd want to cook, and Marc probably wasn't in the right state of mind to be worrying about food.

"I'll be right outside if you need me," Kevin said, "Jo's out the front, Marcus and Stoffel are coming to take over later so that there's always someone guarding you tonight."

"They haven't caught them yet, have they?" Marc asked, and Kevin could see the worry in his eyes.

"No, but we will."

*

Once they'd eaten, Dany showed Marc around the flat, it was incredibly tidy considering all that had happened, and Marc glanced out of the window at the scorched grass below.

Marc stared at him with fear in his eyes, and Dany knew that it looked bad.

"They were my husband's, ex-husband's, things." Dany looked down at the ring on his finger. With everything that had happened, he'd forgotten to take it off.

He yanked at the ring, his skin red, and he was in danger of dislocating a finger. Marc reached out to hold his hand, slowly sliding it off as the tears started to fall.

Dany wasn't sure if it was the stress, or those warm brown eyes staring at him, but he leant in for a kiss.

For the first time since he'd seen the divorce papers lying in wait for him, he felt calm, and he didn't want the feeling to end.

Dany grabbed at Marc's hair, deepening the kiss as he felt Marc's warm body press against his. Marc's lips were like fire, his passion consuming him as he dragged him towards the bedroom.

It was all lust, nothing else mattered in that instant, just a need to be fulfilled, a longing to be close to someone.

Dany was fumbling with his jumper, his lanky arms tangled in it as Marc made quick work of his shirt buttons, calming him with a kiss as he slid it off. Marc's body was a work of art, and Dany could only stare as he slinked out of his top, reaching out to stroke at his muscles as a needy groan fell from his lips.

Hurrying to unzip his jeans, Dany's hand found Marc's hard cock waiting for him, his boxers already damp where his cock had leaked, and Dany was on the brink of orgasm just knowing that someone wanted him.

Marc pushed Dany back on to the bed, helping him wriggle out of his jeans so that he was lying naked on the bed, nothing but pale skin shivering in the cold evening air. Dany leant over to get condoms and lube out of the bedside table, thankfully certain parts of his brain were still working, and he slinked under the covers as Marc slid into bed beside him, kissing him all over.

Just the sound of the lube being opened had Dany's cock leaking in anticipation, Marc's long fingers wasting no time in opening him up, stretching him wide as he gasped in pleasure. Dany kept arching his back, forcing Marc to go quicker, he wasn't looking for gentle, just frantic all-consuming sex.

"No more teasing, fuck me." Dany whispered, and his voice sounded strange, distorted by sheer need as he clenched around Marc's fingers.

Marc grinned, nuzzling against his neck as he rolled the condom on, before settling between Dany's legs. The cover was draped over both of them, shielding them from the world as Marc thrust in, Dany crying out in pleasure as he bottomed out.

Dany wrapped his legs around Marc's waist, dragging him down into a messy kiss as he started to thrust frantically, Dany's cock rubbing against his abs as he gasped and moaned. The sound of Marc pleading in Spanish was so arousing, and even the smell of his aftershave was sensual like him.

Marc reached down to stroke Dany's cock, swiping his thumb over the tip, and that was all it took to have him shuddering in orgasm, Marc's thick cock prolonging the sensation as he lay gasping on the bed, his body limp and his mind clear.

Dany felt Marc flop down on top of him, surrounding him like a blanket made of warmth and comfort, and for the first time in a long while, Dany felt happy.

*

Dany woke up in an empty bed, but he could hear the sound of a shower running. He rubbed at his eyes, groaning when he realised that his stomach was crusted with come.

Smiling as he wandered into the bathroom, Dany was confused when he saw that the shower was empty, and his entire body went into alert mode, worried that people had broken into his flat to kidnap Marc, or worse.

He tiptoed through to the living room, and he peered round to see Marc sitting on the sofa. Using his laptop.

The laptop that took some serious skills to get round the password on it.

Dany stepped out into the dim light, goose bumps covering his skin as he glared at Marc.

"Just a delivery guy, eh?"


	3. Duty Calls

Marcus wasn't able to sleep, and Stoffel felt the same. But there was no point all four of them sitting outside Dany's flat, not when there was a case to be solved.

The problem was, they didn't have all the pieces of the puzzle. There was something that didn't make sense, Marcus could feel it, but he didn't know what it was.

He let out a groan when Paul wandered in, his visitors pass clipped to his suit.

"Congratulations on your engagement," Marcus said, smiling as Paul handed him a sheet of paper.

"Thank you," Paul said, looking down at his feet. "I wish I had better news for you."

"Five hundred pounds."

"Yep, that's the minimum fine for starting a fire without a permit, and be grateful that they didn't charge him with wasting police time or the cost of the firefighters."

Marcus raised his eyebrows, folding up the sheet so that he could pay it on the way out. He wasn't sure that Kevin would be too impressed about it, although Marcus knew that he'd have done the same. Dany deserved a little bit of a break, and he was doing them a favour looking after Marc.

Stoffel wandered back into the office, coffees in hand, and he smiled at Paul.

"Would you like a coffee?" Stoffel asked, handing Marcus his black coffee. "I've got to head back down to the fraud squad to get more info on what our thieves might be doing with a thousand blank passports."

"They're not much use on their own," Paul said, it almost sounded like he was thinking out loud rather than having a conversation.

"What do you mean?" Stoffel was poised and ready to go, and Marcus looked awake for the first time since his official shift had ended.

"The passport database has to be altered to have a corresponding entry, it's all electronic, and they're only any use for travel if the computer says that they're valid."

"So, they would need a hacker?" Marcus scrunched up his face in confusion, and Paul shrugged, his knowledge was more legal than technical. Although Nico had taught him a few tricks.

"Or the encryption key…" Stoffel was typing away, pulling up a file that had a very familiar photo. "It says he's a civil servant, but they're not exactly going to put that he's the one with all the access to the worldwide passport database."

"Fuck, Dany."

Marcus grabbed his keys and headed out of the door, radioing in to Kevin and Jo to tell them what was going on.

The drive out to the shop only took twelve minutes at this time of night, and every minute felt like torture.

What had they dragged Dany into this time?

*

"Start talking."

Dany knew that he wasn't in any position to be ordering Marc around, but he didn't care right now. A shiver ran down his spine, but he didn't want to leave Marc with his laptop. He didn't know what sort of trouble he was in, and he definitely didn't want to be tangled up in it.

Marc threw him the blanket, and Dany wrapped it around himself, stepping closer as he wandered round to see what Marc was up to.

He was just starting to relax when he heard the sound of metal in the lock. Someone was trying to get into the flat. Marc closed the laptop and grabbed Dany's hand, heading for the bathroom, but they weren't quick enough, they were already in the flat.

Kevin burst through the door, he was still in his uniform, which Dany was grateful for. Every bit of his body was on alert, and he'd have probably ended up attacking Kevin by accident.

"Step away from Dany," Kevin said, and he sounded like a police officer, calm but commanding, as Jo whipped out his baton.

"It's not what you think." Marc held his hands up, and Dany ended up shielding him from Kevin and Jo, unsure of why.

Jo stepped closer, and Dany put his hand out to stop them advancing, letting the sheet fall down on to the floor.

"Nice." Jo raised an eyebrow, and Kevin shoved him.

"What would Stoffel say?" Kevin shook his head, waiting for Jo to put his baton away. "Dany, you get dressed, and Jo you go put the coffee on."

Jo rolled his eyes before heading towards the kitchen. Marc glanced around, but it was clear that he had nowhere to go.

Kevin held his hand out, gesturing at the sofa. "Marc, sit, the rest of the team are on the way, and then we can get to the bottom of this."

Marc didn't relax until Dany was sitting next to him, although it wasn't Kevin's place to say anything. He was the one who'd brought Marc into his life.

Jo strolled back through carrying a tray, he looked like a completely different person to the one that had burst in earlier, spoiling for a fight. There was a little jug for milk, and a bowl of sugar, as well as biscuits.

"Aren't you well trained?" Dany said, sticking his tongue out at Jo, and the tension was broken.

But they still had a crime to solve.

Marcus and Stoffel showed up just as they were starting to ask the big questions.

"Who do you work for?" Kevin asked, watching as Marc nibbled on a biscuit.

"The government, but everything I do is top secret, for security." Marc spun the laptop round, showing a notice board on a dark website, asking about who would have the ability to access the passport database, and Marc's name was listed there.

"Do the thieves have a way of getting into the passport database?" Marcus asked, unable to read the screen from where he was sitting.

"Not from me, but there's others that do the same job." Marc reached out to hold Dany's hand, and Kevin compressed his lips.

"Others in this country?" Marcus had his notepad in hand, pen poised as he scribbled down a few notes.

"No."

"So you're they're best chance of making sure that the passports they stole are actually usable." Marcus glanced around, he knew why they were after Marc.

"Yes."

"I know how to lure them out."

***

Everyone had slept at Dany's, in their uniforms, just in case the thieves were able to trace Marc here. Jo and Stoffel had taken the sofa, it was just like old times for them, and Kevin and Marcus had taken the spare room.

No-one had mentioned the fact that Marc disappeared off to bed with Dany. He'd been through a bad time, and he deserved a little comfort, in whatever form that took.

Dany looked exhausted the next morning, and Marcus handed him a cup of coffee, yawning as a reflex after seeing Dany yawn.

"Have you put the word out?" Dany asked, and Marcus nodded.

They'd left word on a message board that they knew where Marc was. It was a random sighting in a coffee shop near here, and then they were going to lead them to Dany's shop, since it would be quiet through the day.

"Are you okay with all this?"

"As long as they catch the bad guys, I'm fine with it." Dany downed his coffee, his hand trembling as he heard the sound of the shower running. "Promise you'll keep Marc safe?"

"We're bringing in the armed detectives, they'll make sure that everyone's safe."

*

Dany didn't like waiting. The fact that the armed detectives were following Marc as he went to the coffee shop, didn't reassure him. He knew that the thieves would be staking the place out, waiting for Marc to appear.

He'd told Nico to take the day off, and he made sure that all the regulars didn't stick about, telling them that he had the plumber coming in to fix the bathroom.

The bulletproof vest was chafing under his jumper, and Dany was just glad that it wasn't too warm, that would have been torture.

He tried not to scratch at it, forcing himself to stay calm as he poured his fifth cup of coffee with shaking hands.

Dany couldn't figure out why he felt this way, he'd barely spoken to Marc, and yet there was something about him, they had a connection. His stomach was twisted into knots, and he couldn't imagine how Marc felt right now.

*

Marc was so nervous that he had to repeat his coffee order three times, even the fact that there were three plain clothed detectives around, pretending to be other customers, didn't reassure him.

A flicker of a smile crossed his face when he remembered Kevin's description of them, all cocky, 'one of the lads' type of guys, but when things got hairy, they were the ones that he wanted in his corner.

Marc wasn't sure why Dany was helping him, he didn't deserve his trust, but at the same time, he didn't want to drag him into this mess.

Although if the security on Dany's laptop was anything to go by, he knew the issues that came with the job.

Marc tried not to look like he was being watched, he'd been told not to make eye contact with the detectives, they were just like any other strangers.

He squirmed as the bulletproof vest pressed against his ribs, making him feel breathless, which combined with the nerves wasn't helping him stay calm.

Sipping at his coffee, he sat at the back of the shop, away from the window, so that the suspects would have to come in and get him. But if the detectives were right, they were going to wait until they were somewhere quieter.

Dany's shop.

Marc felt his stomach twist at the thought of it, the bitter coffee like a fire glowing in him. He just wanted to keep everyone safe, and yet he didn't know how it would all work out, which terrified him.

The walk down to Dany's shop had his legs trembling, and he was glad that the cold weather gave him an opportunity to fidget without looking suspicious. He was rubbing his hands together, releasing the nervous energy as he kept himself warm, and he wished that he'd taken up Dany's offers of borrowing his mittens.

He held his breath as he wandered in to the shop, and he smiled at Dany as he walked up to the counter.

"A coffee, and some change for the pinball machine," Marc said, his hand shaking as he handed over a five pound note.

Dany's hand moved to reach out to him, but then he snapped it away, aware that they were being watched.

"Take a seat and I'll bring you your coffee." Dany handed him his change, their eyes meeting for a brief moment as Marc saw the fear in his eyes.

A mum and her two children wandered in as Dany was pouring the coffee, Marc was sitting scrolling through his phone, and he could tell that Dany was thinking the same thing.

"Hi, how can I help you?" Dany prayed to a god that he didn't believe in that it was something simple, and when she took a laptop out of a canvas bag he breathed a sigh of relief.

"My laptop's not working, it won't switch on." She held her little one's hand, and Dany could see what had caught their attention.

"Mum, can I play on the pinball machine?"

Dany felt his blood pressure sky rocket. "Sorry little one, it's broken, but it'll be fixed when you come back."

Mum looked relieved at that, and Dany scribbled something on a piece of paper. "This is the quote."

_I'll fix it for free if you leave right now._

"Thank you for your help." Mum and her kids left, and Dany felt the sweat dripping down his back.

He was glad that he was naturally pale, it hid the look of fear that wasn't going to leave his face until all this was over.

He glanced over at Marc as he went back to take the coffee over to him, he had deliberately not filled the cup too full so that he could carry it without spilling it all over Marc. Although if that was the worst thing that happened today then he'd be fine with that.

"Thank you." Marc's voice was strained, and Dany wanted to hug him, but there was new customers strolling in.

Dany couldn't believe the odds, and he scurried back to behind the counter, noticing how the customer stood so that he was blocking the view of Marc. One of the detectives strolled in, taking a seat as he pulled out a laptop, typing away with his headphones on. It was so convincing that Dany had to look twice to check that it really was the detective that he'd spoken to earlier.

The customer was asking about prices for repairs, and Dany reeled off a list of prices, before telling him that he'd have to bring it in so that he could see what was wrong with it.

"Is there anything else I can help you with today?" Dany knew that he sounded more sarcastic than helpful with his accent, but right now it was hiding the fear in his voice. He didn't flinch when he saw the gun tucked into the waistband of the man's jeans. "Coffee?"

"Sure." The accent was something that he couldn't place, and he was relieved to see the rest of the detectives now sitting around the shop as the three suspects stood by the counter.

Dany picked up the coffee pot, smiling as he poured a cup, before throwing it in the thief's face.

There was a frantic scramble to apprehend the criminals, but Dany only heard a bang, and he felt the air being knocked out of his lungs, sending him crashing to the floor as the pain spread through his body.

Dany tried to stand up, but he couldn't get his limbs to work. And then he heard another gunshot.

He wanted to call out to Marc, but he couldn't get the words out, and he lay with tears streaming down his face, the sound of boots scuffling about echoing in his ears.

Dany felt like time had slowed, and he lay gasping on the floor, curled up in agony.

"Where's Dany?" Kevin came rushing over, cutting off his jumper as he checked to make sure that Dany was unharmed.

Dany tried to tell him that he was fine, even though he didn't feel it. He was glad that Jo had told him what it felt like to be shot when wearing a bulletproof vest, it had saved him from panicking any more than he needed to, although this period of his life would go down as one of the most stressful.

"You're going to be bruised for a while," Kevin said, helping him to sit up, and undoing the straps on the bulletproof vest.

Dany took a deep breath, and he could finally manage to speak. "Where's Marc? Is he okay?"

"I'm fine." Marc's smile was shining down from the counter, looking at the shards of broken glass that had exploded everywhere, the smell of coffee keeping him alert.

"The place is going to have to be closed for the rest of the day," Kevin said, "So that forensics can come and take some photos."

"I think I could do with a rest." Dany tried to laugh, but it ended with him coughing, his lungs burning as white spots appeared in his vision.

Kevin and Marc helped Dany up to his flat, after he'd spoken to the detectives, even though it seemed like an easy case to get a conviction on, especially with the CCTV from Dany's shop. He'd installed it after the last little run in he'd had with the police, although he didn't advertise that fact.

Dany spent the evening in bed, dozing as he watched tv, Marc cuddled in beside him. Even with the giant bruise over his heart, it was still perfect.

*

Kevin was waiting for Marcus to finish chatting to Dany, checking up on him for the third time in as many hours.

"He's fine, Marc's looking after him." Marcus grinned as he raised an eyebrow. "Do you think they'll last?"

"They do seem good together." Kevin moved so that Marcus could snuggle in next to him, but it wasn't long before he was yawning.

"I think it's time for bed," Kevin said, "It's been a long day for everyone."

Marcus laughed, and Kevin patted his pocket before stripping off quickly. Once Marcus was comfy in bed, Kevin slid in next to him, wrapping him up in his arms.

He bit his lip, and Marcus gave him a kiss on the end of his nose, waiting for him to speak, but Kevin couldn't find the words.

Kevin held out a small silver ring, his big blue eyes staring at Marcus, waiting for an answer to a question that he was scared to ask.

Marcus grinned, leaning in for a kiss before sliding the ring on his finger. He didn't need to say a word.

They fell asleep in each other's arms, happy to have the one they loved close.

**Author's Note:**

> *and obviously none of this actually happened, it is all a figment of my twisted imagination ;)


End file.
